Transfer of Energy 5E Science Unit Plan for Fourth Grade | 4-PS3-2

This Transfer of Energy 5E Science Unit Plan is an inquiry-based unit where students learn about how energy can be transferred from place to place by sound, light, bath, and electric current. Students move object to explore the movement of energy. They explore the collision of objects, transfer of energy, change in motion, light energy, and electric currents. The unit includes three parts for each of the 5E’s (Engage, Explore, Explain, Extend, and Evaluate) and more.

KEY CONCEPTS IN THIS 5E TRANSFER OF ENERGY UNIT

• Transfer of energy
• Conservation of energy
• How energy moves through a system and what happens when components of that system change
• Factors that affect how energy is transferred

FREE UPGRADE TO GOOGLE DIGITAL COMPONENTS:

• Google Slides Teacher Presentation that supports the student resources
• Google Slides Student Resources for a paperless option
• Google Form Exit Cards to monitor student understanding

Included in this Transfer of Energy Science Resource

• Teacher Notes that provide an overview of the resource and explanation of the NGSS standard for Transfer of Energy 4-PS3-2
• Common Misconceptions about the Transfer of Energy
• Teaching Timeline available with four different options, including a correlation with the Fourth Grade Science Stations
• Vocabulary Cards to reinforce key terms of adaptations throughout the unit. These are similar vocabulary cards available in the Fourth Grade Science Stations
• Big Idea Posters that illustrate the main concepts students will learn
• Exit Tickets in three formats: short answer, fill-in-the-blank, and multiple choice
• Google Slides Teacher Presentation that supports the student resources
• Google Slides Student Resources for a paperless option
• Google Form Exit Cards

What is the 5E Instructional Model?

The 5E Model is student-led, with the teacher acting mainly as the facilitator. Through open-ended questions, real-life experiences, guided investigations, and research, the students gain a deep understanding of the scientific topics that are covered in the lessons. Each stage of the model serves as a foundation to the next, creating a coherent model that frames lessons, activities, and units.

Find out more about the 5E Unit Plans in this blog post.

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Objectives and Timeline for Each Section of the 5E Transfer of Energy Unit

Engage

Objectives:

• Students will access their prior knowledge about how energy is transferred and how it is conserved during the transfer.
• Student interest in energy transfer will be elicited.
• The teacher will be able to identify student misconceptions about the transfer and conservation of energy.

Parts and Duration:

• Part 1 (What Is This?): 10 minutes
• Part 2 (My Experiences): 15 minutes
• Part 3 (Introducing): 15 minutes

Explore

Objectives:

• Students will work together to investigate energy transfer.  They will do this by observing what happens when energy moves through a system.  They will also observe what happens when components of the system are changed.
• Students will gather general information about the transfer of energy.
• Students will begin to think about the factors that affect how energy is transferred.
• Students will analyze and interpret data to provide evidence that energy transfer is affected by the components in a system.

Parts and Duration:

• Part 1 (Check It Out): 20 minutes
• Part 2 (Read This): 15 minutes
• Part 3 (You Try It): 15 minutes

Explain

Objectives:

• Students will work collaboratively to observe the transfer of energy.
• Students will listen to the teacher’s explanation about the transfer of energy.
• Students will use the new information to revise their explanations about the transfer of energy.

Parts and Duration:

• Part 1 (What Does It Mean?): 10 minutes
• Part 2 (What is the Transfer of Energy?): 20 minutes
• Part 3 (Putting It All Together): 20 minutes

Extend

Objectives:

• Students will apply what they have learned about the transfer of energy to a new situation.
• Students will deepen their understanding of the transfer of energy, gaining a more generalized knowledge of this specific scientific concept.
• The teacher will resolve all persisting student misconceptions about the transfer of energy.

Parts and Duration:

• Part 1 (Where Is the Transfer of Energy?): 15 minutes
• Part 2 (Show What You Know): 20 minutes
• Part 3 (Have Fun With It): 20 minutes

Evaluate

Objectives:

• Students will evaluate their own understanding of the transfer of energy.
• Students will be able to demonstrate knowledge of the concepts and vocabulary.
• The teacher will encourage students to ask questions that could lead to future investigations.

Parts and Duration:

• Part 1 (What I Know): 15 minutes
• Part 2 (Showing Transfer of Energy): 30 minutes
• Part 3 (Going Forward): 15 minutes

These 5E Unit Plans correlate with the Fourth Grade Science Stations.